0001 / 0194 ----------------------------------------------
The Shadow of War
The people of Redforest had once possessed open and optimistic natures, but ever since the Hobgoblin Dynasty arose in the north during the previous century, these virtues had all but eroded. Decades of sporadic southern raids by the hobgoblin armies turned the compassionate, peace-loving residents into people who lived in fear of war and plunder.
—From Sir Ashpen’s *Northern Local History*
A man carrying a hunting spear advanced with a cautious gait.
Beside him followed a dwarf man called Hokeuma, armed with a crossbow, and both of their expressions were nothing short of utterly serious.
The spear-bearer appeared to be a nobleman.
Clad in a surcoat over chain armor, he was a handsome young man of fine build with black hair and black eyes.
Given that the northerners here were predominantly blond, his appearance gave a rather exotic impression—he seemed to be a foreigner.
Just then, the Hokeuma in the rear spoke.
"Chief. Tracks here."
His voice was frivolous, ill-suited to the grave atmosphere.
But the nobleman paid it no mind and knelt to examine the ground.
They resembled lynx tracks, absent any claw marks.
Yet they were larger than an adult’s palm.
"A cave lion."
"Seems like it. No wonder I caught a musky scent."
Hokeuma swept back his dark brown curly hair and trembled theatrically.
The cave lion they spoke of was a distant relative of the lion, a ferocious beast dwelling in the frigid north.
It lacked a mane, and its frame was even larger.
It was the prey that northern hunters always dreamed of, but far more often than not, those who tried vanished into its belly before ever catching one.
"This is pretty scary, don't you think? Chief, how about we turn back here?"
The black-haired man shook his head firmly.
"I'll catch it. I'm not turning back."
Hokeuma nodded with a resigned look.
Once that stubborn young man made up his mind, there was no dissuading him.
The noble youth with the hunting spear gestured softly and pressed forward once more.
The youth's name was Reynold Blackwood.
He was the only son of Sir Meisan Blackwood, a famous swordsman of the south.
He had come to this distant north as a squire to undergo knight training.
Reynold was staying in a small city called Redforest, situated at the northernmost edge of even the north, and the lord who ruled there, Lord Jeon, was the one he served.
The ruler of this barren land, Jeon Bureuello Bomecheu, was a typical northern man who, in his youth, traveled the kingdom and forged a bond with Reynold's father, Sir Meisan.
Aware of Jeon's qualities as an outstanding knight and leader, Meisan had sent his son to the distant north, hoping he would take after him.
The southern boy who had come to this harsh land at the tender age of eleven had endured six brutal winters.
As a result, the child who had once been prone to tears and all too soft had now grown into a stalwart warrior at seventeen.
"I will never run away and leave my chief behind."
The Hokeuma muttering fearfully at his side was named Bellabello Redfinger.
The squire called him by the nickname "Bella."
The Hokeuma were a demihuman race of diminutive stature, less than half the height of humans, cheerful and clever.
Much like human gypsies, they were wanderers who rarely formed societies of their own.
They lived scattered among the societies of humans, dwarves, and others.
Bella, too, had been a drifter until recently, settling in northern Redforest, and since meeting Reynold, the two had been as thick as thieves.
His eyes were brown, and he could not grow a beard.
Instead, he sported fine whiskers.
Bella's eyes, always darting about in search of curiosities, sparkled with inquisitiveness.
He was twenty-three, six years Reynold's senior.
Yet for some reason, he served Reynold as his chief.
Perhaps it was because notions of age and lifespan differed between humans and Hokeuma.
"The wind is favorable."
The Hokeuma following behind muttered.
They were walking against the wind.
At the very least, they seemed unlikely to provoke the cave lion’s keen sense of smell, for its eyes were poor.
Despite his calm, composed exterior, Reynold's heart was racing.
But pushing down his fear, he resolved to achieve the greatest feat in this hunt.
This hunt was being held to celebrate Lord Jeon's Name Day.
The saint 'Bureuello,' which was also Jeon's middle name, was said to have originally been a hunter.
For that reason, the lord would hold a hunting contest every year during the third week of September.
Having participated every year, Reynold wanted more than anything this time to present his lord and respected mentor with a greater gift than anyone else.
He would become a knight in the coming spring.
Becoming a knight meant parting from the beloved north.
A cave lion's hide would be a memorable gift rivaling any other.
'I am dragon-blooded. A slightly oversized cat doesn't scare me.'
He reassured himself inwardly to calm his nerves.
But the thicker the tracks grew, the more cold sweat trickled down.
"The ground is heavily torn up. It's a strong young one. We must be careful."
Bella behind him nodded at Reynold's words.
The tracks led downward along a gentle forest path.
Reynold, who had been descending cautiously, suddenly halted and held his breath.
He had spotted a cave lion crouched roughly eleven meters ahead.
The Hokeuma behind also seemed startled, suppressing even the sound of his breathing as he crouched low.
Crunch. Crunch.
The beast was tearing into something.
The blood smeared around its maw was a ghastly sight, suggesting a fresh kill.
The two onlookers grimaced involuntarily, a shudder running through them at the sound of crunching bones.
Reynold caught his breath and tightened his grip on the spear.
"I'll throw the spear first, so ready your crossbow."
"Got it. Chief."
Bella, a seasoned hunter in his own right, cocked the crossbow and took aim at the beast.
Spear in hand, Reynold raised his hunting spear to his shoulder, poised to throw at any moment.
Then he sensed something amiss.
'The wind has shifted!'
Startled, he looked up urgently to see the cave lion already raising its head and staring directly at them.
Grrrr!
---------------------------= Afterword ---------------------------=
This is a remake of a work previously published in print.
Since the published version was never released as an ebook, and I personally had many regrets about it, I decided to attempt a remake.
I'll be taking it slow, so please enjoy at a leisurely pace.